PRAGUE (Reuters) -- The European Commission welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's strong backing for Turkey's drive to enter the European Union on April 5, remarks which prompted France to reiterate its opposition to Turkish membership.

"I very much welcome the clear statements of President Obama on that matter," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference after an EU-U.S. summit in the Czech capital Prague.

"We have started a process of negotiations with Turkey for membership," he said, a reference to calls by ruling conservatives in France and Germany that Ankara should be offered privileged ties short of actual membership.